


from dreams of yearning

by yoonminoml (fanficloverme96)



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, Reincarnation, references to part 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:34:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23486155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanficloverme96/pseuds/yoonminoml
Summary: Beginning from his seventh birthday, Sougo is plagued with dreams of a distant past. He dreamt of flames and shattered pieces of crystals, and of a hand reaching out to him amidst all the chaos.  Fifteen years later, to celebrate the second anniversary of their debut, Tamaki invites Sougo to celebrate the Tanabata festival with him at one of the local shrines, where he learns that his dreams may not be just dreams after all.
Relationships: Ousaka Sougo/Yotsuba Tamaki
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35
Collections: Dear Butterfly: MEZZO" Exchange





	from dreams of yearning

_ “Vega-sama!” _

_ He hears it again. There is a desperate cry of his name in the midst of all the other screams. There is fire everywhere and all he can see is red. There is something sharp in his hands; pieces of shards that pierce his palms, making them bleed. _

_ He falls to the ground. He could feel his eyes slowly sliding shut. Just before he does, he sees a figure looking at him. The person’s mask now hangs around his neck, revealing the terrified expression in his eyes.  _

_ “Vega-sama!” _

_ Ah, so it’s him who is calling his name. He feels his lips move, trying to force out his voice from his throat. _

_ “I’m sor-,” _

Sougo wakes up to see the white ceiling above him, his mind still whirling from his dream. He covers his eyes with the back of his hand, breathing out slowly. One hand gropes around until it finds its target; his phone, lying on the mattress not too far from his head. He uncovers his eyes and swipes the screen to look at the date.

July 7th. Of course.

He’s been having that dream without fail every July 7th ever since his 7th birthday. The dreams of fire and screams and the pieces of shards in his hands...along with that desperate of his name. Except...it’s not really his name. Not the one he’s familiar with. But that person in his dreams had looked at him with such desperation that Sougo could only guess that the person was calling out to him.

The phone in his hand buzzes, drawing back his attention towards it. There is a message notification on his screen now. 

_ Sougo-san, good morning! I’d like to inform you that your schedule with Tamaki for the day has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. Since MEZZO” doesn’t have any other schedules today, we’ve decided to give you two a day off! Please make sure you get plenty of rest today and we’ll see you tomorrow ^^ - Manager _

“A day off, huh?” Sougo muses. He texts a quick reply to Tsumugi before he gets up from the bed, giving his body a stretch. “I might as well put it to good use.”

The dorm is empty when he gets out of his room after getting ready, save for Tamaki who he finds sitting in the kitchen, eating his breakfast. From the looks of it, it’s the leftover onigiri that Mitsuki made Tamaki last night as a midnight snack. Tamaki blinks at him as a response to his morning greeting, watching Sougo sit across him at the table.

“Did you get the text message from Manager?” Sougo asks. 

“Mm,” Tamaki nods, “We have a day off.”

“Do you have any plans for today?”

Tamaki looks thoughtful for a moment, snapping his fingers when an idea comes to him. “Today’s the Tanabata festival, ain’t it? Sou-chan, let’s go.”

Sougo blinks owlishly. “Tanabata festival? Ah…that’s right. There’s one nearby, isn’t there? I remember seeing flyers promoting it.”

“We should go,” Tamaki says, “We’re the only ones who can, anyway. Let’s celebrate the day for the rest of them.”

Sougo smiles a little ruefully. “That’s right. The rest are busy today. Come to think of it, it’s been a while since we’ve had breakfast together, since we all have conflicting schedules these days.”

It’s becoming harder and harder for IDOLiSH7 to see each other and spend time together despite living together. It’s gotten to the point where Sougo had to rely on social media just to know what the rest are doing. The only person he sees frequently these days is Tamaki, but even MEZZO” is starting to have solo projects for each member, so there are days that Sougo ends up not seeing a single member before he goes to sleep.

If Sougo has to be honest, this situation makes him sad just thinking about it. They’re together, but also separated, unable to meet each other. 

“It’s almost as if we’re like...a star, shattered into pieces,” he murmurs. 

“Sou-chan?”

“It’s nothing,” Sougo says with a shake of his head, “I was just talking to myself,”

Despite Sougo’s reassuring smile, Tamaki gives him a look of concern in return. His hand slides across the table to touch Sougo’s. Sougo looks at Tamaki’s fingers intertwining with his almost in a wonder. For some reason, the sight of their joint hands seems...familiar.

_ “Vega-sama!” _

Like he’d been hit by a jolt of electricity, Sougo’s body stiffens. He feels himself swaying to the side, his head suddenly assaulted by a wave of dizziness. His eyes roll to the back of his head and without warning. Sougo’s body falls off the chair.

Just as he falls to the floor, he hears a cry for his name. 

It sounds like the one in his dream.

When Sougo wakes up, the first thing he sees is not the white ceiling of his room, but Tamaki. He feels the softness of his mattress and could spy his shelf of albums so he knows that he’s back in his room. 

“You fainted,” Tamaki says before Sougo can ask anything, “You scared me, Sou-chan,” he whines, “Are you sure you’re alright? Do you feel sick anywhere?”

Sougo shakes his head weakly. “Sorry, Tamaki-kun.” He slowly gets back up into a sitting position on the bed, holding his head with one hand. “I’m fine, though. I just had a headache. How long have I been out?”

“Not long. You woke up just minutes after I put you here.” Tamaki bites his bottom lip. “Maybe we shouldn’t go to the Tanabata festival after all?”

“No, we can still go.”

“But -,”

“It’s our rare day off. I don’t have any plans and you don’t either. We can go. I’m fine, Tamaki-kun.” Sougo insists. “After all, it’s been a while since we spent time together, hasn’t it?”

Tamaki still looks unsure. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Mm. I’m sorry for worrying you.” 

“Well...okay. But you’ll tell me if you feel sick anywhere, right?” Tamaki presses, “I’m an idiot so I might not notice until you collapse again. So you better tell me, okay?”

Sougo holds up his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright. I promise.” 

Tamaki fixes him a stare before he nods to himself, seemingly satisfied with Sougo’s answer. “Then, let’s get ready!” He beams. “I can’t wait to spend the day with you, Sou-chan.”

Sougo smiles softly.

“Me too, Tamaki-kun.” 

Wearing a mask and sunglasses with their yukata is a strange combination and Sougo has a feeling that they’ll end up attracting more attention than intended, but with their growing popularity, going out without some form of disguise is quickly becoming a non-option. Tamaki doesn’t seem to be bothered by the arrangement, already pulling Sougo’s hand towards the shrine.

The shrine is packed with people coming to enjoy the festivities. Each side of the long pathway that leads up to the shrine is lined up with stalls, ranging from food to drinks to games. The shrine itself is beautifully decorated with colorful papers hanging on the bamboo trees and streamers connecting one pole to the other. There are vibrant paper lanterns hanging above them, which would undoubtedly make quite a sight once the day slowly turns to night.

“Sou-chan, look over there!”

Sougo follows Tamaki’s line of sight and spots an old lady sitting under a tree with a knitted blanket placed in front of her. The blanket displays an array of small trinkets - from bells to hairpins to combs. But what drew Sougo’s attention is the cardboard sign beside all those goods.

**‘Fortune telling - 100JPY’** .

“You’re into fortune telling, Tamaki-kun?” Sougo asks.

“I don’t really believe in them,” Tamaki admits, “But they’re always fun to try. And it’s cheap too. Let’s try it, Sou-chan.”

The old lady is already looking at them when they approach her, flashing both of them a toothy smile. “Oh, what handsome gentlemen!” she says, much to Sougo’s amusement given that both of them still have their disguises on, “Would you be interested in a little fortune telling?”

She gestures to the stools in between them, placed near the blankets. “Come, come. I happen to be very good at palm reading. In fact, for the two of you, I’ll charge you two for the price of one! How’s that for a deal?”

Tamaki and Sougo exchange glances. With a soft sigh, Sougo reaches into his pocket to fish out his wallet. He takes out a 100 yen note before handing it to the old lady. “My friend here is the one who’s interested, but I guess I’ll try too.”

“Excellent! Now, have a seat, you two, and give me your hand.”

Tamaki and Sougo sit beside each other and each hold out one hand. The old lady takes their hands and flips them to look at their palms. She makes a soft humming sound as she studies them, her eyebrows furrowing every now and then.

“Ah,” she says, “You two have known each other for a long time.”

“It’s coming to our third year together...if we include the times we’ve trained together,” Sougo says.

The old lady merely gives him a knowing smile, as if there is something left unsaid in between them.

“You’ve had a long, arduous path together in a distant past,” the old lady continues, her voice soft, “And you will perhaps face another difficult path in the coming future. But this time...you two will no longer be torn apart.” She smiles at them, her eyes gentle. “The heavens are kind to you for letting you two meet again.” 

“I didn’t really understand what that obaa-chan said,” Tamaki complains a little while later. He has a candy apple in one hand - one he takes a bite from after talking, “Do you, Sou-chan?”

Sougo shakes his head. “It’s a little vague, I’ll admit.”

The old lady said they faced difficult times in the past, which is true, considering their rocky relationship before this even after their debut, and will face another difficulty in the future, which could possibly be referring to IDOLiSH7’s lack of time spent with one another. 

And yet, why does Sougo feel like she could have meant something else by that?   
  


More importantly, what did she mean when she said the heavens were kind to let them meet again?

“Sou-chan?”

Tamaki is peering at him again, worry evident on his face. 

“Sorry, Tamaki-kun. I spaced out,” Sougo says apologetically. He points towards the cluster of bamboo trees by the shrine, where there are plenty of  _ tanzaku _ s hanging on them. “Let’s grab one of those papers and write a wish. That’s the main event of this festival, isn’t it?”

Tamaki slowly smiles., though Sougo could still see the worry lingering in his gaze. “Yeah. Let’s go do that.”

They take one paper each from the pile placed on a nearby table and write down their wishes. Sougo hesitated a little at his - there are plenty of wishes he’d want to make and he’s not sure which one to prioritize. He eyes Tamaki beside him who is already writing down his wish with a face full of concentration. It’s a little endearing watching him putting his all in the simple task. So much so that Sougo’s own hand starts moving to write down his wish.

“What did you wish for, Sou-chan?” Tamaki asks after they hang up the paper strips on the bamboo.

Sougo smiles to himself. “It’s a secret.”

“That’s no fun,” Tamaki pouts, “What if I tell you mine? Then, will you tell me yours?”

“You must really want to know,” Sougo says with a laugh, “Alright. Let’s trade wishes. What was yours?”

Sougo finds himself stilling in surprise when Tamaki suddenly reaches up to cup his cheek gently. Both of them have taken off their sunglasses and masks at this point so Sougo could now fully see the emotion dancing in Tamaki’s eyes.

“I wish for us to never be apart,” Tamaki says softly.

Sougo stares at him in surprise, not knowing what to say. The intensity of those words is so sudden and uncharacteristic of Tamaki to say. 

A jolt of pain passes through Sougo’s head as a wave of dizziness crashes down onto him. 

“Ggh-,” Sougo winces, holding his temple.

“Sou-chan?” He could hear the alarm in Tamaki’s voice. He could feel his hands on Sougo’s forearms. “Sou-chan, what’s wrong?”

Sougo doesn’t answer. He turns his head towards the pond near them. He catches sight of his own reflection in the water.

His reflection which suddenly wavers into another image.

Sougo sees himself, and yet, it’s a version of himself that he doesn’t recognize. His hair is much longer, and there is a jeweled accessory nestled among his locks. He wears elaborate-looking clothes than Sougo isn’t sure that it’s from any period he recognizes. His reflection has a mournful expression as he looks at Sougo before he opens his mouth.

_ “I’m sorry.” _

The wave of dizziness becomes more intense until it proves too much for Sougo to bear. Just before he blacks out, collapsing onto the ground as he does, he hears a desperate cry for his name.

Like earlier today.

Like in all of his dreams.

And then, Sougo remembers. 

Many, many lifetimes ago, there existed six stars co-existing in harmony - Sirena, Alba, Eterno, Bestia, Lama and finally, Mistero. Each star had their own specialty, whether it be its beautiful waters, lush forests or looming metal skyscrapers.

For Mistero, the star housed a special gem called the Hoshi Tama which had the ability to grant a person’s wish in exchange for a heavy price - one that the wishmaker often had no say in. Many sought after this gem and to avoid its powers from being abused, the gem was carefully looked after by the star’s select few who called themselves the guardians.

The head of these guardians was Vega - a powerful priest who, despite his youthful appearance, had been alive for many centuries. He was well-loved by the people of Mistero who trusted him for his wisdom and good judgement. He was exceedingly kind and never wasted an opportunity to lend a helping hand.

Vega was also incredibly lonely.

Being around that long meant his heart soon grew weary of outliving his friends and family. The guardians who looked after the Hoshi Tama with him came and went, and after the passing of his most recent one, Capella, many could tell that Vega was eventually becoming world-weary. 

That was until the arrival of Lazu.

Lazu hailed from the star of Alba and used to be the right-hand man of the star’s young King, Carnelian. Alba’s state of peace had always been incredibly fragile, especially since Carnelian’s rushed coronation as the King after an illness that spread through the star took the former King with it. As a result, Carnelian struggled to both make a name for himself and gain the trust of his people.

When a devastating war raged through Alba, in an effort to save his childhood friend from needless suffering, Carnelian purposely exiled Lazu to another star before he went into hiding. It had been Vega who found Lazu curled up on the ground, bleeding and unconscious. Despite the protests of other guardians, Vega took him back to the sanctuary where he resided and nursed him back to health.

Lazu, to put it simply, was mistrustful of everything and everyone. Due to his exile, Lazu was physically incapable of returning to his star even if he wanted to. When one exiles someone from a star, until that exile is lifted, the person in question will not be able to pass through the star’s protective barrier. Lazu had been Carnelian’s most loyal subject, and was understandably upset about the whole situation.

Regardless, Vega was patient. Lazu could not move much due to the severity of his injuries and was bedridden for a few weeks. While Vega often talked to him while he took care of him, Lazu did not respond, other than to lash out at him occasionally for answers Vega could not provide, or to simply be left alone.

It took him two full weeks before Vega received his first proper answer from Lazu. It was also the first time Vega learned his name. Before this, admittedly he had only referred to him as King Carnelian’s right hand man.

“...Lazu,” the young man had said quietly, “I owe you my name at least, for taking care of me.”

Vega gave him a gentle smile. “Nice to meet you, Lazu-kun. You can call me Vega.”

The two formed a tentative friendship, and with nowhere else to go, Lazu took up residence at the sanctuary with the rest of the guardians. The guardians were initially wary of the newcomer, but when Lazu proved himself to be useful in doing heavy lifting and various errands, they begrudgingly became used to his constant presence.

Lazu remained faithfully waiting for any news of his king; often looking and asking for updates regarding the war that raged on in his star. While there was no news of Carnelian’s sightings, there was also no news of his death and Lazu took this as good news more than anything. While waiting, Lazu and Vega’s friendship continued to blossom, to the point that the people of Mistero couldn’t help but notice how more frequently the head guardian was now smiling and laughing. 

The friendship soon evolved into something deeper, and on the day of their first kiss, Alba announced its victory in the war. 

Lazu’s exile was lifted and he was free to return to his star.

“Go,” Vega urged when Lazu visibly hesitated, “Go see your king again.” 

Lazu caressed Vega’s cheek. “We will meet again. I promise.”

Vega held his hand and kissed his palm. “Then, I’ll be waiting.”

Vega sent Lazu off with a smile, firmly believing that one day, they will see each other again. It was the only thing that kept him from holding onto Lazu and comforted his heart as he watched Lazu disappear off into the distance.

What he did not know that the next time they meet, would also be their last.

There was fire. There was screaming. Vega lay on the ground, unable to move due to the pain, forced to simply take everything in without being able to do anything. He stared at the sky above him, now tainted with the bright red and orange glow of the flames around him as everything burned to the ground.

He looked at his hands - bleeding from the shards which used to be the Hoshi Tama itself.

He would have never expected betrayal from the gem’s guardians but having lived this long, perhaps he should have. He had seen both the good and bad of humanity and yet somehow...this time, he didn’t see the betrayal coming until one of the guardians drove a magically enhanced dagger into him, intending to kill him.

Vega’s death was the only thing that could break the barrier around the Hoshi Tama after all. 

“Why…?” he remembered asking, looking at the young boy with wide eyes.

“Alba was not supposed to win that war!” the boy cried in a mad frenzy, “The people...they killed my family and destroyed my home. They should have lost! They should have felt the pain of losing everything!”

The boy staggered back after pulling out the dagger. “Now, I’ll grab the Hoshi Tama all for myself and wish for Alba’s destruction, once and for all!”

The rest of the guardians who shared the boy’s sentiments cheered him on. Vega gritted his teeth in pain when he remembered - of course; the guardians here had all lost their homes one way or another. That was the main reason why they were sent to the sanctuary and trained to be guardians in the first place; they had nowhere else to go after the many wars inflicted by Alba in their once mad conquest for power under the previous King’s rule.

And for Vega to house an Alban exile right here at the sanctuary - he had been nothing but a complete fool.

With the last of his strength, he extended his hand towards the container which kept the Hoshi Tama, giving the guardians a rueful smile.

“I’m sorry...I can’t...I can’t let you do that.”

With all of his powers, he summoned the Hoshi Tama out from the container and once the gem reached his hand, too fast for anyone to grab it, Vega curled his fingers and crushed the Hoshi Tama into pieces.

“No!” the boy screamed, “Why?  _ Why?! _ ”

Chaos happened after that.

The guardians set the sanctuary on fire and left Vega bleeding on the ground to die. He weakly looked at the shards in his hands, some tears already trailing down his cheeks.

“I hope...these shards...will never reunite,” he said brokenly, “Not until...my soul...returns back to this earth…”

As he lay there dying, he slowly smiled. For his life to finally come to an end…

“Vega-sama!”

Vega made a surprise sound. Why was that child here…?

“Vega-sama!” 

Ah, that’s right….today was supposed to be the day Lazu came to visit under diplomatic reasons...of course.

He felt himself being lifted a little, and hands cupped his cheeks. “Vega-sama! Please don’t...Please!” 

It’s strange watching Lazu cry. That sad expression did not suit him. 

Vega tried to smile again. Tried to be comforting, even if he knew it would be of no use.

“I’m sorry, Lazu-kun,” he whispered, “Looks like...I’ll have to leave you...so soon…”

“Vega-sama, I could save you! Just tell me how!” Lazu begged.

“Lazu-kun, come closer,” Vega said softly, “Please listen to what I have to say.”

Lazu leaned in and Vega moved his lips towards Lazu’s ear to whisper his last words.

“Look for my soul, Lazu-kun. One day...it’ll return to you.”

When Sougo opens his eyes, he sees the night sky above him before his eyes meet Tamaki’s.

“What happened….?”

“You collapsed,” Tamaki says softly, “But you only fell asleep and I knew you don’t want any unnecessary trouble so I took you here to rest.”

‘Here’ being under one of the giant trees near the shrine. They are close enough to still hear the happenings from the festival, but far enough to avoid being seen by prying eyes. Sougo slowly gets up into a sitting position on the grass, holding his temple. “How long have I been asleep?” he asks.

“A couple of hours. The festival is gonna end soon.”

Sougo gives Tamaki an apologetic look. “I’m sorry. You were looking forward to the festival too.”

Tamaki shakes his head. “I don’t really care about the festival,” he says, “There’s always next year. I just wanted to spend time with you.”

“Tamaki-kun…”

“You were talking in your sleep,” Tamaki continues, “I can’t make out what you were saying, though.” He pauses. “What kind of dream were you having, Sou-chan?”

“I…” Sougo turns to face him fully, making up his mind. “This might sound strange, Tamaki-kun. Will you listen despite that?”

Tamaki blinks. “I’ll always listen to you.”

Sougo smiles tenderly for a moment, before he exhales softly. “I’ve been having the same dream for years now. The dream about...me.” He looks at Tamaki carefully. “And you.”

“Except…” he pauses, “It wasn’t us. Not really, anyway. I wasn’t known by the name I have now. I...Once, a long time ago, I was once called...Vega. And you were -,”

“Lazu,” Tamaki finishes.

There is silence. 

Sougo stares at Tamaki in shock, his lips parting into an ‘o’ shape while he tries to think of what to say. The only thing that manages to come out from his mouth in the end is the sputtering of Tamaki’s name.

“T-Tamaki-kun…” Sougo blinks. “You…”

Tamaki smiles a little. “Sou-chan, what did you dream about?”

  
“I...I...dreamt of fire,” Sougo breathes, “Fire and screaming. There were shards in my hand. I...You were calling out to me.”

“In my dream,” Tamaki whispers, “It is the same, except I didn’t see any shards. All I saw was you. I held you and you...you whispered my name.”

The two continue to look at each other, the silence growing thicker in the small space between them.

“You...Do you remember as well?” Sougo asks softly.

“I do. I’ve had the same dream for years too,” Tamaki confesses, “And just several days ago, I...I remembered everything.” He grasps Sougo’s hands. Sougo looks down at the joint hands before his gaze returns onto Tamaki. “There’s actually a reason why I took you here to this festival.”

“What is it?”

“The day Vega-sama...the day we parted before, it had been the seventh day of the seventh month in that lifetime.” Tamaki smiles. “And today is -,”

“July 7th,” Sougo murmurs. “You...Did you predict I’d remember?”

“I didn’t, but I had hoped.”

“The Tanabata festival...the festival that celebrates the two deities who reunited once a year…” Sougo says with realization.

“Seems fitting, doesn’t it? For you to finally remember on this day,” Tamaki says.

Tears gather in Sougo’s eyes as the truth comes crashing down onto him. His hands release their hold on Tamaki’s in favor of holding Tamaki’s face. His voice shakes when he speaks, tears trailing down his cheeks.

“You...Lazu-kun…”

“Vega-sama.”

“Tamaki-kun.”

“Sou-chan.”

Sougo laughs in the midst of his tears. “No matter what our names may be, our souls are the same. And it seems that our souls have found their way to each other.”

Tamaki places one hand on top of one of Sougo’s, leaning into the touch. “In the end, I managed to keep my promise to you.”

They move to hold each other in a tight embrace under the tree, Sougo allowing himself to cry out of happiness. He feels something hair tickling his cheek when Tamaki moves his head before there is something warm pressed against the side of his neck - like a kiss.

There is a loud sound, and above them, the night sky is soon decorated with fireworks, shining above the pair of lovers whose souls finally reunited. 

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Happy Mezzo" Day! You know I'm a sucker for reincarnation AUs, teehee~
> 
> Kudos/comments/bookmarks are appreciated and you can find me on Twitter at @tennssi0907 !


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